Hobbit House Sessions
Cape Breton-style Teaching Sessions
• Build CB tune repertoire
• Learn and apply CB style elements
• Explore CB accompaniment (esp. basslines)
WHEN:
First Sunday of each month, in-person & on Zoom, at 11am-1pm Pacific.
= 12-2pm Mountain
= 1-3pm Central
= 2-4pm Eastern
= 3-5pm Atlantic
= 7-9pm UK & Scotland
= 8-10pm Continental Europe
COST:
• Included with Patreon subscription at $10+ tiers.
• Otherwise US$10/Cdn$13 (payment options). You can pay afterwards if you're not sure you will attend.
• The Review Tutorial videos are also available from my Patreon at the $15+ tiers, or $5 per tutorial à la carte.
Next Meetings:
• Sunday November 2, 2025 (Zoom Link for Nov 2nd session)
• Sunday December 7, 2025
Email me if you would like to be on the notification list for future sessions or for the in-person address.
November 2025
SHEET MUSIC:
Teaching Tunes (strathspey & reel in G minor/dorian/mixolydian/major):
The British Press marching air (Alexander Walker)– Lady Augusta Gordon Lennox’s strathspey (A Walker)–We’ll Aye Gang Back to Yon Town reel (A Walker)–I’ll Gang Nae Mair to Yon Town (James Oswald) PDF
We will focus on the first 2 tunes in November session, and the last 2 tunes in the December session.
Featured Techniques for November: Subtle timing of note pairs, twiddles (warbles, flicks, and slow flicks), strong snaps on descending fifths.
TUNE-LEARNING AUDIO:
WHOLE SET AUDIO:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
REVIEW TUTORIAL:
October 2025
SHEET MUSIC:
Teaching Tunes (strathspey & reel in D major/mixolydian/dorian):
The Braes of Marr strathspey (trad Scottish/CB) & Kate Dunlay’s Reel (Theresa Morrison) PDF
Featured Techniques: Fingered Slide, Pull-In Pop.
TUNE-LEARNING AUDIO:
WHOLE SET AUDIO:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
REVIEW TUTORIAL:
September 2025
SHEET MUSIC:
Teaching Tunes (strathspey & reel in A major/mixolydian):
604 Burnhamthorpe strathspey (Kate Dunlay) & Welcome Owen Diack reel (David Greenberg) PDF
Featured Techniques: Back-string Substitution, Aftershock, Stubby.
TUNE-LEARNING AUDIO:
WHOLE SET AUDIO:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
REVIEW TUTORIAL:
May 2025
Teaching Tunes (strathspey & reel in G major):
Gin I Had a Bonny Lassie reel (trad)-Paresisl (trad) PDF
Big Set on G:
Miss Mariane Oliphant air-Stumpie strathpsey-The Highland Plaid reel-Gin I Had a Bonny Lassie reel-Paresis reel-Lord MacDonald’s reel-Jenny’s Dream hornpipe PDF (3 pages)
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
April 2025
Teaching Tunes (strathspey & reel in G major):
Stumpie strathspey (trad)-The Highland Plaid reel (trad) PDF
Big Set on G:
Miss Mariane Oliphant air-Stumpie strathpsey-The Highland Plaid reel-Gin I Had a Bonny Lassie reel-Paresis reel-Lord MacDonald’s reel-Jenny’s Dream hornpipe PDF (3 pages)
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
March 2025
Teaching Tunes (strathspey & reel in A major/mixolydian):
Keep the Country Bonny Lassie strathspey-Ann MacQuarrie’s Reel PDF (1 page)
Original settings of Keep the Country Bonny Lassie PDF (1 page)
Big Set on A:
Trip to Mabou Ridge march-Keep the Country Bonny Lassie strathspey-Calum Crubach strathspey-Muileann Dubh reel-Ann MacQuarrie’s Reel PDF (2 pages)
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
February 2025
Live sessions will resume in March 2025
January 2025
Strathspey & Reel in E-dor:
Live sessions will resume in March 2025
December 2024
Teaching Tunes (march-strathspey-reel in E dorian):
Grand Étang march-The Brig O’ Potarch strathspey-Mains of Gartly reel PDF (1 page)
The Big Set on E & G:
Grand Étang march-The Brig O’ Potarch strathspey-Bog An Lochan strathspey-Flora MacDonald reel-Prince Charlie reel-Mains of Gartly reel-Green Grow the Rushes reel-She Put Her Knee on the Old Man reel PDF (3 pages)
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
November 2024
Jig in A-dor:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle & piano
October 2024
2 Reels in D & E gapped/dorian/minor by Kate Dunlay:
Sara’s Sojourns / Dearcmhara — single-page PDF — two-page PDF with stories
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
September 2024
2 Reels in E-dor:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
August 2024
Strathspey and 2 Reels in E-dor and G:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
July 2024
Slow Air and Clog on F:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
June 2024
3 Reels on A:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
April 2024
Strathspey and 2 Reels on A:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
piano alone
March 2024
Strathspey and 2 Reels on C & Am:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
February 2024
Jigs on D:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
January 2024
This was a review session, and looked at these sets again:
• Compliments to Cameron Chisholm set
• Rodney’s Glory set
In the HH Summary video, I cover these techniques:
• Earth-and-air balance • Popped/percussive notes • Loop-into-treble bowing • Varied rhythm and slurring (for pairs of notes in a reel) • Cuttings • Drones • 4-note flourish (with rhythmic alteration) • Wild note • Back-string substitution • Transition from strathspey to reel (timing shift in footwork and body mechanics; tempo stays the same at moment of transition) • Twiddles: Pull-ins, Warbles, Flicks, Unison-flicks • Stubby-syncop combo • Drones.
…and a few Irish-style ideas for Rodney’s Glory hornpipe:
• Cross-beat slurring • Filling in the third (making a scalar triplet) • Sliding into a higher note (going up a scale) • Self-accompaniment (adding a second voice using barred notes and drones).
December 2023
Hornpipe, Strathspey, & Reel on A:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
November 2023
Strathspey & Reel on A:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
piano alone
October 2023
Jigs on F:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
piano alone
August 2023
Strathspey & Reel on G:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
piano alone
July 2023
Strathspey & 2 Reels on E:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
piano alone
June 2023
Strathspey & Reel on D:
TUNE-LEARNING:
WHOLE SET:
fiddle alone
fiddle & piano
piano alone